Straight line connector



Oct. 15, 1940. s. P. BECKER STRAIGHT LINE CONNECTOR Filed April 2, 1940FIG. I

A fro/2 5) Patented Oct. 15, 1940 UNITED: STATES PATENT OFFICE 2 Claims.

My invention is an improvement in electric line connectors of the typecomprising a sleeve with inwardly tapering ends enclosing a set ofcomplementarily tapered jaws which may open when moved away from andwill close when moved toward the end of the sleeve.

In erecting wire lines it is common practice to place a connector on theend of one wire before the other wire, on which the connector is to beplaced, is ready. Under these circumstances there are often accidentalmovements of the wire which cause connectors to be shaken partly off, sothat, when erected, the connector has less than its full intended gripon the wire. Also, if a wire breaks at any nearby point, the suddenendwise surge of the end of the wire toward the center of the connectormay cause it to loosen so that the wire can escape.

One of the primary objects of my invention is to provide a straight lineconnector that will be easily attachable to a wire and easily,intentionally, detachable therefrom, but which will be, as far as ishumanly possible, perfectly safe against accidental detachment.

In the accompanying drawing, which illustrates an embodiment of myinvention:

Figure 1 is partly a side view and partly a longitudinal section of oneof my improved connectors.

Figure 2 is a partial side view with a nut removed.

Referring to the drawing:

l is a tubular shell with inwardly tapering ends 2 which enclose aplurality of complementarily tapered jaws 3 with inner faces toothed, asshown at 4 to grip a wire 5. A spring 6 normally urges the jaws towardthe end of the shell. The ends of the jaws extend beyond the end of theshell I- and have, cut around them, a screw thread I to mate withthreads IS in a nut 8 which, by a female surface Ba: taperedcomplementarily thereto, fits around the outside of the tapered end 2 ofthe shell. Each nut is provided with two parallel flat spots 9 to whicha wrench may be applied to screw the nut on or off.

The several jaws of each set are sometimes formed from one piece ofmetal with thin sections that will spring to allow the jaws toaccommodate themselves to the taper of the shell. Sometimes each jaw isa separate piece. In either case, there is usually provided a cap [0with fingers II that enter holes 12 in the jaws, and a raised boss l3which centralizes the spring 6. If the jaws are separate pieces, the capholds them together in one unit.

A hole I4 is providedin the shell I through which, when the jaws 3 aremoved toward the center of the connector by forcing the wire 5 inward, apointed tool can be inserted and caused to enter one of the holes [2 andhold the jaws to- 5 ward the center of the shell.

To attach a connector to a wire the nut 8 is loosened so that the jaws 3can be moved toward the large end of the taper and the end of a wire isforced between the jaws. The spring 10 6 urges the jaws toward the smallend of the taper and causes an initial grip of the jaws on the wire.Tightening the nut 8 by a wrench applied to the flats 9, will pull thejaws toward the small end of the taper and increase the grip 1 until thewire is safely held. When the wire is in place, the tension on itcoacts, with the force caused by the nut and the spring, to force thejaws toward the small end of the taper andstill more increase the grip.0

Because the pressure of the nut against the shell is by complementarilytapered conical surfaces of a small included angle, instead of the planesurfaces of an end perpendicular to the axis, it wedges up on theoutside of the shell and causes a great friction that resists accidentalturning and loosening of the nut.

If, at a later time, it becomes necessary to remove a wire from aconnector, the nut 8 is unscrewed and the wire and jaws pushed in untilone of the holes I2 is in line with a hole M. A pointed tool insertedthrough a hole I4 into a hole l2 will hold the jaws against the tensionof the spring in the large part of the shell, so that the wire will bereleased and can be drawn out.

It will be noted that the tension on the wire and the force of the nut,both acting in the same direction to force the jaws toward the small endof the taper, coact to increase the grip of the jaws on the wire.

Having described my invention and the manner in which it is used, thatwhich I claim to be new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a wire connector comprising a tubular shell having inner and outersurfaces tapering inwardly toward its ends, a plurality of jaws taperedco-mplementarily to the inner taper of the shell, a spring adapted tourge the jaws toward the small end of the taper, screw threadedextensions of said jaws beyond the end of the shell and acomplementarily threaded nut adapt ed to be screwed on the extensionsand abut against the shell, to thereby positively force the jaws towardthe small portion of the tapered shell, the improvement which comprisesmaking the contact of the nut with the shell by a female surface taperedcomplementarily to the outside of the shell.

2. In a wire connector of the type having a shell with tapered ends, aplurality of complementarilv tapered wire gripable jaws therewithinhaving screwthreaded portions extending be- 10 yond the ends of theshell and a complementarily

